A pie for chocolate lovers! This caramel turtle brownie pie combines a rich fudge brownie filling with caramel and pecans, set atop an Oreo cookie crust. A small slice is delightfully decadent, especially when served a little warm and topped with whipped cream and/or a scoop of ice cream!
Have you ever made caramel turtle candies? I have a recipe for them in my book Sally’s Candy Addiction. They’re made with 3 key components: caramel, chocolate, and pecans. Today we’re taking the same flavors and serving them as a turtle brownie pie on a bed of crushed Oreo cookies.
Get ready for this.
Tell Me About This Caramel Turtle Brownie Pie
- Texture: This pie is mega-rich. Each bite delivers a chewy caramel fudge brownie, studded with pecans and chocolate chips, on a crisp, buttery Oreo cookie crumb crust.
- Flavor: Chocolate. Caramel. Pecans. Oreos. Any questions?
- Ease: While there’s a few separate parts to this pie, and there’s nothing difficult about any of them. The 2-ingredient Oreo pie crust is quick and easy, and there’s no pre-baking required. The brownie batter can be made in 1 bowl and whisked by hand. Make the brown sugar caramel sauce on the stove while the pie is in the oven. It’s a less-fussy way to make homemade caramel, and—though you can use one if desired—there’s no candy thermometer needed. It’s basically the same delicious sauce we use on this pecan pie cheesecake!
The best part? Not only will you use homemade caramel sauce for topping, you’ll prick the warm pie all over with a fork and spread the caramel right on top so it gloriously seeps down into the pie. YES!
Start With an Oreo Crust
You need just 2 ingredients for this easy Oreo pie crust:
- Oreos (22 standard-size whole Oreo cookies)
- Butter (5 Tablespoons/72g, melted)
Grind the Oreos into crumbs, stir in the melted butter, and press into a 9-inch pie dish. There is NO pre-baking required for this crust. If you ever need more help making an Oreo cookie crust, see my Oreo crust recipe & shaping tips.
FAQ: Can I Use Regular Pie Crust? If you have some extra pie crust dough in your refrigerator or freezer from making a 1-crust pie recipe like this pumpkin pie or apple crumble pie, you can certainly use it for this caramel turtle brownie pie! You’ll need to par-bake the pie crust. Follow the par-baking steps (steps 1–5) in my regular brownie pie recipe.
Here’s Everything You Need After Making the Crust:
You can prepare the caramel sauce ahead of time or make it while the brownie pie bakes, which is what I usually do. See more about the caramel sauce below.
Make the Brownie Pie Filling
Tip: Do not make brownie batter in advance. Because butter is solid at room temperature and because cocoa powder and flour soak up liquid, this brownie batter will thicken the longer it sits. Mix it up immediately before spreading into the crust.
Here’s everything you need for the pie filling:
- Butter & Oil: Melted butter is the base of this brownie pie filling. I always love how vegetable oil keeps chocolate cake soft and moist, so I added some here.
- Granulated Sugar: Whisking granulated sugar into warm butter helps the sugar migrate to the top of the batter as the pie bakes, creating that shiny, crackly top—brownies’ signature!
- Eggs: Eggs are the main performer in this recipe by adding structure and texture. You need 3 eggs total: 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk. An extra egg yolk makes for a rich and chewy texture, just as it does in these chewy chocolate chip cookies.
- Vanilla Extract: Flavor enhancer #1.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: All of the chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder, so you don’t need baking chocolate like in this brownies recipe. You can use natural or dutch-process.
- Flour: All-purpose flour adds structure.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer #2.
- Add-ins: Chopped pecans and chocolate chips add wonderful texture to the chewy brownie filling.
Make the Easy Caramel Sauce
While the brownie pie bakes, make the caramel sauce on the stove. You need butter, brown sugar (I recommend dark), heavy cream, salt, and a touch of corn syrup.
FAQ: Can I leave out the corn syrup? If you don’t want to use corn syrup, you can leave it out, but the texture of the caramel sauce may be grainy. The corn syrup serves to keep the sauce smooth and glossy. You can try using maple syrup, golden syrup, or honey in its place, but the flavor and texture may vary.
If you have some extra salted caramel leftover from making a caramel apple cheesecake pie, you can warm that up and use it instead. I wanted to try something a little different for this pie. Today’s caramel is similar to the topping used on this pecan pie cheesecake; I loved it and wanted to make use of it again!
And now the best part… prick the warm brownie pie all over with a fork and spread some of the warm caramel sauce all over the top. Like a “poke cake” recipe of sorts, but with brownies and caramel:
Topping This Caramel Turtle Brownie Pie
The toppings are the pie’s main accessories.
Let the caramel-infused brownie pie cool for about 1 hour before topping and serving. It can still be slightly warm. Top with more pecans, more of the homemade caramel sauce, some melted chocolate (optional), and a pie’s best friend: whipped cream. Taste testers also loved the slightly warm pie with vanilla ice cream. If you’re going to indulge, you might as well go for the gold.
Description
This undeniably indulgent caramel turtle brownie pie combines an easy Oreo cookie crust, fudge brownie filling, pecans, homemade caramel, plus optional chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. Be sure to make the brownie batter immediately before spreading into the crust.
Crust
Brownie Filling
Caramel Sauce
Toppings
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: In a food processor or blender, pulse 22 Oreos (including the cream filling) into a fine crumb. You should have about 2 cups (packed) crumbs, or 250g. Pour crumbs into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and quite wet. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact, thick crust. If the mixture seems really wet and is not forming a nice crust, grind up 2 more Oreos and mix those crumbs in. Tip: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. And run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart. For more shaping technique tips, see the Oreo cookie crust recipe page.
- Make the brownie filling: Slice the butter into Tablespoon-size pieces and melt in the microwave in a large heatproof bowl or in a small saucepan on the stove. (Transfer melted butter to a large bowl if using the stove.) Whisk the oil and granulated sugar into the melted butter. Let it sit for 3–5 minutes to slightly cool. Whisk in 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the cocoa powder, flour, and salt and whisk until combined. Batter will be thick. Fold in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Batter will continue to thicken the longer it sits, so immediately spoon and spread evenly into crust.
- Bake for 30 minutes, and then tent with foil and bake for another 8–10 minutes. (Err on the side of under-baking because the brownie filling will set as it cools.)
- Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce: Heat the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, salt, and corn syrup together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. With a spatula or whisk, stir occasionally until butter has melted and mixture is combined. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, stop stirring and allow to simmer/boil for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat, and then let cool until the pie is done baking. The sauce will thicken as it cools. (If you want to be precise, the sauce is done when it reaches 215°F (102°C) when using a candy thermometer.)
- Add caramel and pecans on top: Remove pie from the oven. Let it sit for 5 minutes to slightly cool. Then, using a fork, prick holes all over the surface of the pie. Drizzle and spread about 1/4 cup warm caramel sauce over the pie. (Reserve the rest for more topping/serving.) Some of the caramel will seep into the pie through the holes. Set aside for 1 hour to slightly cool before adding toppings, or cool completely.
- Toppings: Spoon pecans on top of caramel-infused pie. If desired, pipe or spoon whipped cream on top or around the edges. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip on the pictured pie. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Drizzle melted chocolate and more of the caramel sauce on top. (You will have some caramel leftover.) Slice and serve with optional vanilla ice cream.
- Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can prepare, cover, and refrigerate the caramel sauce up to 2 weeks in advance. The caramel thickens and sets as it cools. To make it thin enough for spreading/drizzling, reheat in the microwave until liquid again. You can make the pie 1–2 days before serving and I recommend serving it slightly warm. If making ahead, prepare through step 6, and then store covered at room temperature for 1–2 days. To reheat the whole caramel-infused pie, cover with aluminum foil and warm it in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 15 minutes. Then continue with step 7. You can also freeze the baked and cooled pie for up to 3 months, but I recommend freezing before poking holes in the top and covering in caramel sauce. Thaw in the refrigerator, and then cover with aluminum foil and warm it in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 20 minutes or until warm. Then prick holes/top with 1/4 cup caramel and continue with the recipe above.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Pie Dish | Egg Separator | Candy Thermometer (not required, but helpful) | Disposable Piping Bags or Reusable Piping Bags | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
- Pie Crust: If preferred, you can use a graham cracker crust instead of an Oreo crust. If you’d like to use a traditional pie crust, you’ll need to par-bake it. Follow the par-baking steps (steps 1–5) in my regular brownie pie recipe.
- Can I Use Brownie Mix? Yes. For ease, you can use a prepared boxed brownie mix to fill the unbaked Oreo cookie crust. Same exact baking and topping instructions.
- Skip the Nuts: While pecans are always included in caramel turtle candies, feel free to leave them out of this pie, or substitute walnuts. If you omit the nuts, increase the amount of chocolate chips in the brownie batter to 1 cup (180g).
- Corn Syrup: You can substitute maple syrup, golden syrup, or honey for the corn syrup in the caramel sauce, but the texture may vary. You could also use this salted caramel sauce instead.
Keywords: caramel turtle brownie pie
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